


I can’t stand to see you sad

by MarbleAide



Category: Actor RPF, Marvel Avengers Movies RPF, Thor (Movies) RPF
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Homesick, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-06
Updated: 2013-07-06
Packaged: 2017-12-17 20:15:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/871527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarbleAide/pseuds/MarbleAide
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tom's homesick, so Chris helps make him feel better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I can’t stand to see you sad

Out of the entire cast, Chris Hemsworth should have been the first one to notice Tom’s shift in mood. He wasn’t. And that, in itself, was already upsetting. It was actually Chris Evans who brought Tom’s sudden change in attitude to the attention of the rest of the cast.

“Hey, guys…” He said in a hushed whisper, not being the type to gossip. He glanced over his shoulder quickly, eyes darting, just to make sure Tom was still focused on his conversation with Joss enough to not notice the mention of his name. “Have any of you noticed Tom acting…differently?”

Everyone gave him a confused sort of look, except Chris Hemsworth, whose attention was suddenly heightened by the thought of something being wrong with Tom. His Tom.

“What do you mean?” Scarlett asked before Chris could say the same.

“I mean…” Another glance over his shoulder and Tom was still enthralled with whatever it was Joss was telling him. He looked back, licking his lips. “He just seems a bit off, you know? I mean, like, he’s sort of…sad.”

And he was right.

Over the next few days, Hemsworth paid closer attention to Tom. He noticed that it took him a little longer to get up, still looking way too tired and sunken in a world of sleep as he walked out of his trailer. He noticed during scenes he was making mistakes, little mistakes that Tom would have never made if he was in his right mind. During breaks he would drift off in thought, rarely taking part in normal conversation and joking with everyone else. All this, however, was still not as concerning to Chris then the simple fact that, whenever he spoke with Tom whether it be alone or with someone else present, Tom’s usual wide smile wasn’t there anymore. It rarely reached his eyes now, which were heavy and dull. With this, Chris’s own smile faded as he grew more and more concerned.

As days turned into weeks and Tom appeared to be getting worse, it was set on Chris’s shoulders to fix him. The rest of the Avengers cast decided this one day, as everyone knew Chris and Tom were close. If anyone could fix Tom, it was Chris. Yet, as that thought sunk in, Chris felt a pit form in the bottom of his stomach because, well, what if he couldn’t?

He ignored that nagging thought and promised himself he would. He had to.

Over the next few days, Chris acted in his plans to try and cheer Tom up. He made an effort to talk to him as much as possible, trying to drive the spark back into his eye or the sharp intellect into his words, but they simply wouldn’t keep. There were times when Chris saw it, when he or someone would say something and it was like Tom just forgot the reason he was sad so he could smile once more. These moments only ever lasted a moment or two, where everyone would sigh in relief hoping that this time it would stick; that Tom would return to his old self. But just as soon as they came, those smiles would fall and Tom would drift once more.

Soon enough, even these little glimpses of the old Tom came few and far in between. It got to the point where Tom appeared like he was going through with the motions to get things done and go on with his day. Chris saw it in his eyes, how he was simply not there anymore. He would brush their hands together on set, worried eyes glancing up, pleading for Tom to react, to look at him, to just tell him what’s wrong, so Chris could fix it. He needed to fix it.

Yet, Tom would pull his hand away upon contact, flinching and never meeting Chris’s eye. He would walk away, head hanging low and hand curled against his chest.

Chris would watch him go further and further away and, with him, Tom took his heart as well.

—-

It was a Wednesday when Chris finally forced Tom away from set, dragging him out to lunch so they could talk without any distractions. He even took him out to his favorite place, ordered Tom his favorite food, only to sit across from him in silence as he didn’t touch his food at all. Chris bit at the inside of his cheek.

“Tom?” The first call went unheard, pale blue eyes still staring out into some void, stealing Tom’s mind away.

“Tom.” Those eyes flickered down, tired and sad. Chris sighed, moving his hand to rest on top of Tom’s, gripping it firmly so the other couldn’t pull it away so easily.

“Tom.” His grip tightened; those eyes finally looked up to land on him.

“What?”Tom’s voice was quiet when he finally spoke. His entire body went rigid as if suddenly realizing where he was and who he was with. Chris watched as his jaw tightened and felt as Tom tried to pull his hand away, but he only held on tighter, making sure Tom couldn’t escape. “I-I’m sorry…I must have zoned out.” He was still fidgeting; still trying to pull his hand away.

“Tom, please…”

They both knew what the other was talking about. Chris didn’t want to say it, and Tom didn’t want to acknowledge it. But Chris was staring and holding Tom’s hand so tight from across the table and Tom kept moving around, kept shifting his gaze and licking his lips.

“I just…I’m just…just a little homesick, is all.” Tom finally said, eyes still looking to anything but Chris. In a sudden desperate attempt, Tom finally ripped his hand away when Chris’s grip lacked for a second. Frantically, he collected his things to go. “I’m sorry. I’m fine, really. I’m…I’m sorry.”

Chris was still as Tom left. It wasn’t until Tom’s form finally disappeared within the New York crowds that he finally swallowed down the lump that rose up in his throat.

Tom was homesick? Okay.

Chris could fix that.

—-

It was little over a week later when he moved his plan into action. He got Scarlett to drag Tom away from his trailer for a few hours so he could set everything up. She did so with a smile and a wink, promising to bring him home in one piece and silently mouthing to Chris “I hope this works” as she had to pull Tom out and away for Chris to sneak in. When he finished, Chris quickly texted Scarlett to give her the go ahead to let Tom come back. Now all he had to do was wait.

 It didn’t take long.

Soon enough he heard the sound of locks being undone and the door knob slowly turning. Chris had to force himself not to smile as he sat on the little couch, watching as Tom slowly walked in, totally unaware. And, for a second, he didn’t get it.

And then it hit him.

If Chris was being a little truthful to himself, he could admit he had gone just a little overboard. In the time of two hours that it took for him to finish decorating, he had turned Tom’s trailer into a very campy-looking all-too-patriotic English version of the previous one. It was like someone threw up Great Britain all over Tom’s walls. There were posters of The Beetles and Queen Elizabeth plaster on the walls, little model replicas of double decker buses and telephone boxes sat on his dresser. His usual very average pale blue comforter was replaced with one that was the patterned after the UK flag. And, to top it off, Tom could swear he heard “God Save the Queen” playing in the background.

For a long while, Tom simply stood in his doorway, taking it all in, one piece at a time. And, slowly, he finally came to rest his glaze on Chris, who still sat on the couch looking as smug as ever, not able to hold back his own pleasure any longer.

“So…what do you think?”  Chris asked sheepishly.

No words came in reply. The only thing Tom could do was stand awkwardly in his doorway, mouth opening and closing like a fish with silent words and indescribable awe. As time passed and no other reaction came, Chris began to get nervous. He smile slowly fell from his face, scared now that he had done something wrong.

“Look, Tom, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—“

There was no time to get another word out as Tom rushed him, tackling him back onto the couch in a kiss, wrapping his arms quickly around his neck to deepen it. Taken completely by surprise, Chris had no time to react properly to this new affection, totally taken by as it was the first sign of a normal Tom he had seen in weeks.

When Tom finally pulled away, he was smiling. Still with his arms wrapped around Chris, he leaned against him until their foreheads touched.

“Better?” Chris asked, the smile returned.

Tom let out a short laugh. “You are a prat. A total prat. But, thanks. I…I needed this.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I still have more surprises. Here,” Tom pulled away enough to look down confusingly at a phone Chris held out to him. “Just push two and then call. The number is already on speed dial.”

The look Tom gave him was still a fairly confused one, but he followed his given instructions and dialed the number. It rang twice before an answer finally came.

“Tom, dear, so good to hear from you!”

Tom felt his shoulders sag, all the tension falling from his body as he got up from the couch to sit down on the bed, too tired and relieved to do much else.

“H-hi…mum.” He hated how his voice choked on those words. It shouldn’t have been this long since he last spoke to his mother, and he shouldn’t feel so guilty for it. But he did and this…this was everything he needed.

Chris let the two of them speak, trying to not eavesdrop too much on the conversation, knowing it was not only rude but it was something he knew Tom obviously needed right now. They spoke for a little under an hour when, finally, Tom said his goodbyes and promised to call again soon, saying he loved her and to give Emma a kiss for him the next time she was over. When the phone finally came away from his ear, Chris noticed there were tears in his eyes.

“Thank you.” Was the only thing Tom managed to say.

“Hey, hey,” Chris said in a faked-stern tone, getting up from his spot on the couch to kneel in front of Tom. “No crying now, I’m trying to prevent that.” He gave a smile as he wiped the tears from Tom’s eyes before they could fall. “Besides, I’m still not done with you tonight.”

Tom gave a smile, a genuine smile filled with wit and teeth and happiness, letting out a choked back sob before getting his words together. “What could you possibly have besides all this?”

Chris’s smile only widened. “Well I’ve imported some Earl Grey to brew up with some crumpets and strawberry jam to eat in bed while we watch tv.” Tom couldn’t help but laugh as Chris pulled out from behind his back two DVD cases. “You have the choice of Doctor Who or Top Gear tonight.”

Again, Tom tried his hardest not to laugh at the cheesiness of it all, but it still felt good. With more tears in his eyes, he pulled Chris up to his feet, pulling him once more into a kiss to lick inside his mouth, trying to show Chris how grateful he was for all this without tripping over his own tongue in the process. Even without the words, he could tell Chris got the point.

When they finally pulled away, both men were smiling with Chris hovering over Tom as he lay on the edge of the bed, running his fingers gently through Chris’s hair, petting him.

“Promise me you will tell me next time something is bothering you?”

Tom chuckled softly. “Promise.” And sealed it with another kiss.


End file.
